Casing for boilers and the like



1933- H. A. BRAINARD CASING FOR BOILERS AND THE LIKE Filed Oct. 12 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 1933' H. A. BRAINARD I H CASING FOR BOILERS AND THE LIKE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed (Kit. 12 1932 Elgi Patented Dec. 19, 1933 UNITE STATES 1,940,578 CASINGFOR noILEas AND THE LIKE Harold A. Brainard, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignor to The General Fireproofing Company, Youngstown, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application October 12, 1932. Serial No. 637,493 6 Claims. (01. 122494) This inventionrelates to sheet'metal, casings for boilers, radiators and the like, and has generally in view to providean attractive sectional sheet metal casing the sectionsof which may be 5 economically produced and which are of such construction that they may be quickly and easily assembled in firm cooperative relationship entirely without the use of interconnecting fastening devices and without the use of special tools.

18 Sheet metal casings comprising front, rear and side. sections have heretofore been constructed in which the front and rear sections are provided along their vertical edges with grooves or channels to receive the vertical edges of the side sections. In assembling casings of this type it .is usual to remove the frontand rear boiler fittings, to apply the front and rear casing sections and to secure them-in place against the boiler by reapplying the fittings against the outer faces of the sections, and then to assemble the sidesections by entering the bottom portions of their side edges in the top portions of the grooves or channels of the front and rear sections and to slide the side sections downwardly to their final operative positions. This means; of course, that there must be a space above the tops of the front and rear sections at least equal in height to the height of the side sections in order to permit thev latter sections to. be initially engaged with the front and rear sections. Such space frequently is not available and under such conditions difficulties are experienced in assembling the side sections with the front and rear sections, inasmuch as the only practical alterrear section, to then engage the side sections with the applied front or rear section, and then to apply the remaining front or rear section as the case may be by moving the same towards the opposite section'in order to cause the "grooves or channels thereof to receive the related vertical edges of the side sections. While no particular diificulty may be experienced in engaggrooves of thefirst applied front or rearsection, it is extremely difficult to engage the opposite vertical edges of the side sections in the grooves casings of theitype' mentioned.

native is first to apply either the front or the 'ing the vertical edges of the side sections in the the grooves and requiring usually. the services of more than one workmanto effect the assembly. a

Sectional casings'of other. types also have been constructed heretofore, but these have been found to be disadvantageous primarily because of the necessityof deforming one or another of the sections toeffect their assembly with each other, or because of the necessity ofemploying separate fasteners to secure the sections together. 1 6

Accordingly, a specialobject of the present invention is to provide a casing comprising front,

rear and side sections of such construction that they may readily and easily be assembled simply by relative lateral movement of the sections, and without deformation of the sections or the use of bolts or other fastening devices between the sections, thus to avoid the disadvantages of prior Another object of the invention is to provide '75 a top closure element composed of two sections constructed and connected-togetherin a novel manner to facilitate their application Over the top ofuthe boiler or the like and upon the up per edges of the front, rear and side sections.

With the foregoing and other objects in'view, which willbecome more ,fully apparentas the nature of theinvention is better understood, the same consists in the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter morefully described, illustrated inthe accompanying drawings and definediin theappended claims. i

In the drawings, wherein, like characters of reference denote corresponding parts in the different views Figurel is a top plan view of a sectional casing constructed in accordance with one practical embodiment of the invention and showing the same-operatively applied to a boiler, the top element of the casing being broken away to show the relationship between the side sections and the front and rear sections.

Figure 2 is a front elevation showing infull lines the sections of the. top element in sectionv and "in their initial relative angular disposition during their assembly with the other sections, and, in dotted lines, showing the'final operative position of said top element. Figures is an elevation of oneof the side sections- Figure 4 is an. edge view of' one of the side I sections.

Figure ,5 is

a detail horizontal section show '0, C and a top closure element D composed of two half sections d, d.

At E in the drawings is designated a boiler of well known type composed of a plurality of connected water sections 2 the outer faces of which are inclined inwardly from medial points as indicated at e.

It is understood, of course, that the boiler E is inclusive of various appurtenances such as doors e at the front thereof, a flue e at the rear thereof, and water pipes e at the top thereof, and that in case of the doors 6 or the like and the flue e or the like, such appurtenances are bolted or otherwise detachably secured to the boiler. I

The front and the rear sections A and B- of the present casing and, if necessary or desir-' able, also the side sections C, Cthereof are formed with openings for alinement with the boiler appurtenances, and in this respect the tially right angles to their body portions as indicated at 10, and the side sections being inwardly flanged along their side or vertical edges, preferably throughout their lengths, as indicated For purposes of strengthening and imparting rigidity to the inturned marginal portions 10 of the front and rear sections A and B said inturned marginal portions at their freeedges preferably are turned inwardly upon themselves as indicated at 12. Regarding the inturned flanges 11 of the side sections C, C, it will be observed that said flanges are disposed at included obtuse angles with respect to the planes of the side sections and, at points suitably spaced along their lengths, are provided with inwardly projecting tongues .13, constituted by integral inward continuations of the flanges disposed in the planes of the respective flanges as shown. Moreover, eachltongue at its inner or free edge has an inwardly directed flange 14 disposed the same, or substantially the same, inclination thereto by reapplying the related appurtenances.

For example, the rear section 3% first is secured in place by bolting the flue casting c against the outer face thereof. 'Next, the side sections are placed in position as illustrated in Fig. 5 with the tongues 13 at one side thereof entered between the terminal boiler section e and the, in-

turned side marginal portions 10 of the' applied which connection it is pointed out that the front and the rear sections are of such width that the marginal portions 10 thereof are disposed, in the applied positions of said sections to the boiler, outwardly from the sides of the boiler an amount substantially equal to the amount that the tongues 13 project inwardly from the side sections C. With the side sections placed as stated, pressure is exerted to force the tongues 13 into the spaces between the terminal boiler section 6 and the inturned side portions 10 of the applied and secured front or rear plate and at the same time sharp blows are delivered against the side plates in the vicinity of the entered tongues 13 to cause the same to fully enter the mentioned spaces with their flanges free ends 14 engaged fiat against the inclined faces of the terminal boiler section and with the adjacent side marginal portions of the side sections engaged beneath the inturned marginal portions of the applied front or rear section. Finally, the remaining'front or rear section, as the case may be, is secured in position against the'boiler by reapplying the related boiler appurtenances, and the tongues 13 at the adjacent sides of the side section are engaged between the adjacent terminal boiler section and the inturned marginalportions 10 of the last applied front or rear section, the reapplied appurtenances then being tightened to hold the sections in assembled relationship. i

In assembling the sections in the manner indicated the obtuse angular relationship of the tongues 13 relative to the planes of the side sections is slightly reduced due to the overall widthof the side sections beinggslightly greater than the front to rear dimension of the boiler. Consequently, the constant tendency of the side sections is to move outwardly under the influence of the energy stored in the tongues 13 by reason of their inward deflection, with the result that the side sections are maintained tightly engaged alongtheir side edges against the inturned side marginal portions 10 of the front and the rear sections. In this connectionit is apparent, of course, that while the wedging action between the inclined faces of the boiler sections e and the free edges of the tongues 13 assists in moving the side sections outwardly when the obtuse angular-relationship of the tongues to the side sec- ,tions is reduced by the inward pressure of the front and theerear sections against said tongues,

this wedgingaction is not essential and the side sections will be forced outwardly if the sides of Z :the boiler sections are flat.

Referring now. to the top closure element D, it will be observed that the inner marginal portion 16 of one of the half sections (1 thereof is stepped downwardly relative to the body portion thereof of said marginal and body portions thereof with openings 17. It will also be observed that the other section (3 is provided along its inner marginal edge With projecting tongues 18 which aline with the openings 17 when the sections are in mating relationship, and that said tongues also are stepped downwardly and turned upon'thernselves as indicated at 19. Thus it is apparent that by disposing the sections in downwar 1 front or rear section, as the case may be, in

its

and that said section is provided at the iunction plane they are securely heldagainst relative separation.

The inner edges of the sections at, d are provided with mating recesses 20 to accommodate appurtenances extending upwardly from' the boiler and, as is understood, these recesses are alined with the appurtenances at the same time the tongues 18 are entered in the openings 17, whereby the appurtenances extend upwardly through the top closure when the sections thereof are swung downwardly to their operative positions in which they rest on the upper edges of the front, rear and side sections.

Preferably the top closure sections d, d are marginally flanged downwardly as indicated at 21 to impart an attractive finish to the top of the casing, and in this: connection, both to impart strength and rigidity to the top closure and to provide flanges to engage the upper edges of the front, rear and side sections, the marginal down-turned flanges 21 preferably are turned inwardly and upwardly upon themselves, as indicated at 22, and then are flanged laterally inwardly, as indicated at 23, the said flanges 23 being provided for engagement with the upper edges of the front, rear and side sections as is understood.

Without furtherdescription it is thought that the features and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and it will of course be understood that changes in the form, proportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to, withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:- 7

1. A sectional casing forboilers and the like comprising front' and rear sections having inwardly directed side marginal portions, and side sections for disposition between the boiler or the like and the said inwardly directed marginal portions of the front and rear sections, said side sections having inwardly directed side marginal portions disposed at included obtuse angles to the body portions of the side sections to seat against the boiler or the like and to be moved relatively inward by the front and the rear sections thus to force the side sections outwardly against the inturned side marginal portions of the front and the rear sections.

2. A sectional casing for boilers and the like comprising front and rear sections having inwardly directed side marginal portions, and side sections for disposition between the sides of the boiler and the said inwardly directed side marginal portions of the front and rear sections, said side sections having inwardly directed stiffening and reinforcing flanges along their side edges and further having tongues constituting inwardly directed continuations of said flanges, said tongues being disposed at included obtuse angles to the body portions of the side sections to seat at their free or inner ends against the boiler and to be engaged and forced relatively inwardly by the front and the rear sections thus urged inwardly by the front and the rear secto force the side sections outwardly against the inturned marginal portions of the front and the rear sections.

3. A sectional casing for boilers and the like comprising front and rear sections having inwardly directed side marginal portions, side sections for disposition between the front and the rear sections with their side marginal portions underlying the inwardly directed side marginal portions of the front and the rear sections, and inwardly directed formations on the side marginal portions of the side sections to be engaged by the front and the rear sections and to be forced relatively inwardly by relative inward movement of the front and the rear sections and operable by such movement to force the side sections outwardly against the inwardly disrected side marginal portions of the front and the rear sections. 7

4. A sectional casing for boilers and the like comprising frontand rear sections having inwardly directed side marginal portions, side sections to be disposed between the front and the rear sections with their side marginal portions underlying the inwardly directed side marginal portions of the front and the rear sections, and elements projecting inwardly from the side sections to seat against the boiler or the like and disposed to be moved relative thereto by the rear of the boiler and secured to the boiler by appurtenances thereof, said front and rear sections having inwardly directed side marginal portions overlying the side marginal portions of the side sections, and inwardly directed formations on the side sections disposedat included obtuse angles to the body portions of the side sections andseated against the boiler sides and tions whereby the side sections are urged outwardly against the inwardly directed side marginal portions of the front and the rear sections. V

6. A sectional casing for boilers and the like comprising front, rear and side sections and a top closure element, the top closure element comprising two separate sections one stepped downwardly at its inner edge and having openings at the junction of its body and stepped marginal portion, and the other having downwardly stepped tongues projecting from its inner edge for engagement in said openings, whereby. the sections are connectible and disconnectible when they are disposed in other than a common plane and whereby they are held against relative separation when they are disposed in a 1 common plane.

HAROLD A. BRAINARD. I g 

